A Life that Matters.


About 8 or 9 years ago, I did something that has ever since, changed or rather directed the course of my life - I wrote my personal Mission Statement. After reading "The Success Journey" by John Maxwell, I decided that I wanted to live a life that mattered. After, you only get one shot at life - might as well make the very best out of it.

One of the most intriguing advice from the book was the practice of writing my personal mission statement. Till then, I haven't met anyone who had a personal mission statement. I know many companies and ministries that have one. (Amplify's one is "We exist to spread a passion for Jesus Christ and a love for the church to every young person) But the idea of writing one for myself was new.

But I realised that the idea of writing a mission statement is simply saying 'This is how I am going to spend my life." Time is like money. Imagine if I gave you a bag of 1 dollar coins and say, this is all you have for the rest of your life, how will you spend it? Won't you be very careful and focused in what you spend it on?

Similarly, Life is like that. God gave us our life and said, "You have X amount of time to be alive. Thats all you will get. How are you going to spend it?"


Here's a quote explaining what a mission statement is:

Mission statements represent your belief system—the priorities, values and principles that measure your decisions. It provides overall direction and clarifies your purpose and meaning. When you clearly know what you want to be and to do in your life, you feel strong in your sense of mission. You’re no longer driven by everything that happens to you. Rather, you feel a deep and complete commitment to following your innermost values. And you’re excited by it! People sense your strength and direction—you become a powerful, positive decision maker—in your professional and personal lives.

Life's Compass

I found above quote just a few days ago only while preparing for this entry and it is so true loh. My mission statement has been like my life's compass as I trek through life's jungle, all the twist and turns, valley's and heights, storms and dry lands. As long as I know where the north point of my life is, I just keep heading towards that direction. And somehow, not only do I live life with greater confidence and purpose, it seem to give confidence to the people around me - just by knowing what I want to do with my life.

I think there are two kinds of people in the world, those who allow life to take them and those who take life. The former simply follow the system, whatever society has marked out and prefabricated. They go wherever life takes them. The latter however determine how they want their life to be like and go for it. And to the person who knows where he is going, the world makes way.

I really believe that in everybody there is a deep longing and a cry that says 'I WANT TO LIVE!'. To move beyond mere existence and to the kind of life that joins in with what God is doing in this world, to fully live out the mission by which we have been crafted and created for. Jesus knew his mission, his purpose. He didn't try to do everything, He just did what He had come to do - save us from our sins. Which is why on the cross, before he took his last breath he said, 'It is accomplished.' (...my mission)

Jesus didn't live 1 minute pass the moment He completed his mission. And I think that's the way we should live - die when we complete our mission.

A Mission statement brings that into focus for me what I'm called to do. Its not everything of course, but it does help me to keep whats most important, most important.

My personal mission statement can be found on the left hand column of this page. The next entry I will try to recall how I crafted it. Perhaps it will inspire you to start thinking about writing one for yourself.

cheers,
Leo

My Humble Breakfast
















Nasi Lemak. One of the humblest of Asian Food and available on almost every street corner and makan place. Common, unassuming but utterly indispensable to the asian gastronomy.

Usually cost no more than a $1.50 per packet ,the Nasi Lemak is the enduring breakfast (& supper?) chow of the ages and the unofficial national food of Malaysia. Fragrant rice, fried egg, fish and delicious Sambal ikan billis enjoyed on a background of natural green, what's not to like?

The name literally means 'rice in fat' and is derived from the cooking process whereby rice is soaked in rich coconut cream and then the mixture steamed.

Of course, the Sambal ikan billis has to be right. A delightful bland of saltiness and sweet where the tamarind and tomatoes are a right balance layed with sliced onions. I personally tend to favor sambal that has a brighter red to it. Nothing perks me up more than finding the perfect Nasi Lemak sambal. It just makes something so humble taste so royal.

The best I've eaten so far is sold from a small news stand inside Tanjong Pagar MRT. The sambal is a bright orangy red laced with ikan billis that is so not overcooked, it's almost still white. The fried egg is only about half the size of your ezylink card and each packet of Nasi Lemak only cost $1. But mine...what a treat.

Small, yet satisfying.

Thinking about the humble nasi lemak reminds me that it doesn't take a lot to be happy. It's often not the man who has a lot that is happy, but the person who makes the most out what little he has. Am I thankful for what I've been given and the grace I am shown by God to even enjoy it? Or am I looking for more, more, more, thinking that when I have more I will be satisfied?

I want to be more grateful and savor every moment of life, knowing that every second I live, I live on borrowed time from God and should make the most out of everything with gladness. And a heart of worship.

Even if that thing at the moment is all wrapped up in banana leaves.


"Go, eat your food with gladness...for it is now that God favors what you do." -Ecc 9:7


Tucking thankfully,
Leo

. . .

Werk.

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction
in his werk. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.

- Ecc 2:24

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